The Blessing of Grandparents

One of the great blessings of our new home is that we live only half an hour away from Joe's folks.

Two days ago, with no set plans for it, I brought home some sample Gluten Free breading from Kay's. Yesterday John F. dropped off a gallon bag of Northern fillets and pieces.

FISH FRY!

Joe called his parents and asked if they wanted to come for supper.  When the kids got home from school I had them scurry around accomplishing some last minute household clean-up.  Sophie peeled and cut sweet potatoes into fries.

On the menu:

• Fried fish in three varieties of coatings.  Joe did the Chili Nacho breading as is.  He put some GF beer in with the Parmasan breading to create and beer batter, and he ground up some less than satisfactory GF srirache crackers for the third selection.
• sweet potato fries, par-fried in oil, then finished off in the oven.
• garden corn from the freezer (originally from Ed and Kathy S.)
• lemon chess custard for dessert

We had a fun and delicious supper, thanks to my Joe.  I am NOT a fryer.  I don't have the patience to learn how to do it well.  But I definitely have the fortitude to eat fried food in large amounts.

After supper we all sat around the living room visiting.  A few of the kids started playing Apples to Apples.  Soon Grandpa was playing, too.  Gradually the others kids trickled in and joined the fun, too.  I don't think Grandma ever officially joined in but she helped here and there, when littles needed help with the words or concepts.  

Someone didn't want me to post this picture, ... but every else looked so good.

It was ten o'clock before Grandma and Grandpa left!  What fun!  And what a great gift for my children to be able to enjoy periodic spontaneous evenings with their grandparents.